Holes Left by You
by E. Limberg
Summary: Stella ends up in another abusive relationship, and the team tries to help her even though she denies it. Their help could cost her her life when he comes after her for telling them what he is doing to her. MS later on.
1. Not Again

**Holes Left By You**

**Chapter 1: Not Again**

Tears race down her cheeks, landing on the soft fabric of her shirt. Stella sits on her bed, protectively curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth to comfort herself. An ice pack covers her forearm as she attempts to keep the bruising down. Pain shoots through her when she lies down from the bruises on her back where she had been thrown into a wall.

Her worst nightmare had come true: somehow she had fallen in love with another man who abused her. The first few months with Zach were good, no signs of violence at all. When they started to sleep together, he began to hurt her. Stella kept her mouth shut about it, enduring the pain in her body.

_I should have never trusted myself to pick another boyfriend; I'm two for two in choosing violent men to be with. This has to end soon. I think everyone is starting to suspect something, _she stares up at the ceiling, motionless except the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathes heavily.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Stella mutters into the darkness before falling into a light sleep full of bad dreams.

**MS**

Zach kisses Stella, pinning her to the wall. He has a death grip on her arms, pressing them as hard as he can to the wall, and she is sure no blood can circulate through her wrists.

She tries to pull her arms away, but it is useless. "Ow. Let go of me."

"Stop complaining, or I'll make it hurt worse," he threatens but eases up slightly. Dragging her by the wrists, he leads her to the bedroom and tosses her onto the bed.

Stella lets him kiss her shoulder. That soon turns into biting; she tries to suppress her screams as they start to hurt her severely. It feels as though he is a vampire trying to draw blood from her. Zach's hands make their way under her shirt to her stomach, trying to lift the shirt off her. "No," she protests. "I don't want to."

He pulls away as though respecting her wishes. In rage, he throws a punch at her, connecting it with her cheek. "Don't you say no to me."

Getting over the shock, she stands. "I'm leaving," Stella tries to push past him.

He continues to block her exit, "No, you're not. You can't leave until I say you can."

"I don't care about you anymore. Get out of my way."

Zach lunges at her and puts his hands around her throat. "I'll kill you for that. Take it back, or I'll kill you."

"Never," she struggles to say. Everything goes black.

**MS**

Stella's eyes bolt open, and she observes her surroundings. "It was just a dream," she assures herself. The pain comes back to her when she sits up. "Or was it?"

Before leaving her bedroom, she looks at herself in the mirror. _No bruise on my face. I must've dreamt that part._

On her way to the kitchen, she stops to get the newspaper. Then she pours a bowl of cereal and adds some milk before sitting down. After finishing her breakfast, Stella goes to her closet to pick out clothes for work. Carefully she narrows down her choices for a shirt: must be long sleeved to hide the bruises and cover up he bite marks on her neck and shoulders.

_They have to know something. It's the middle of May, warm outside, yet I'm wearing long sleeves. And I'm pretty sure all the guys have noticed the change in how low my shirt is cut; they seem so disappointed to see me recently. _Finally she just grabs a sweater that fit her requirements, not caring what it looked like.

Stella showers and dresses, double checking to make sure no one could see any tell-tale sign of her latest relationship. When she finishes drying her hair, she hears her phone ringing. "Morning, Mac."

"Can you meet me in the park in twenty minutes?"

"Yeah."

"See you soon."

She hangs up too, making sure one last time she looked okay. Heading out, she grabs her coffee mug from the counter.

**A/N: So I hope you like it so far. I've got eleven more chapters for you guys, all of which but the last one are typed as well. The past few days I've been meaning to post this first chapter and I never got around to it. My grandparents are here to the week so my mom makes me stay downstairs rather than in my room all evening or on the computer. And we finally get a new NY tomorrow; yeah! Wonder if will have any updates on Stella's HIV thing; I really don't think I can wait another month and a half to find out. I'm temporarily stuck on my story. I have two more chapters I need ideas for and then I know what I'm going to have happen in the last three. Guess I have some thinking to do at the bus stop tomorrow; although every time I come up with an idea while standing there in the morning, I forget it by the time I get home. Anyway, the theme on NY is the whole Marie Antoinette and French Revolution thing; when I found that out, we had just finished learning about that in history. And the "Let them eat cake" line was in Providence last night. Syd has the randomest dreams in the world. My friend is upset because she thinks she's going to get a B in trig this quarter because she missed three days when she was sick and failed the quiz. Tomorrow and the next day we have a test in the class. She wants my hall passes that are extra credit if you still have them because she lost her's. Unless I miss over twenty points on the test, I have an A in the class. What should I do? I really should shut up now. Hope you enjoy. I'll update hopefully tomorrow.**


	2. Why?

**Chapter 2: Why?**

Stella stands in front of her locker, gathering her belongings before she leaves. She hears footsteps behind her and turns around. "Oh, hey, Mac."

"Hi," he continues to watch her move around. Like he had noticed for the past two months, she seems on edge, jumpy, just different than she was before. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine; it's probably because I couldn't get much sleep last night." She takes her phone from her pocket as it starts ringing. "Hi, Zach."

"Good. Listen, we're still trying to follow a lead; it might be awhile. I don't think I can make it to dinner."

Mac, who was now getting stuff from his locker, begins to eavesdrop upon hearing her lie. _Why would she lie? Who is she lying to? Maybe she needs help if she has to lie to keep form having dinner with what sounds like a boyfriend._

"Sorry. Dinner tomorrow is fine. See you then. Love you," she hangs up and turns back to him.

"Who was that?" he asks, trying not to be nosy.

"My boyfriend, Zach."

"We're not still following a lead. We solved the case. You can have dinner with him."

"I… want to stay home tonight, spend some time alone, catch up on sleep."

"If he really loves you, he'd understand, and you wouldn't have to lie. Or do you want out of your relationship?" Mac sits down on the bench beside her. She doesn't respond. "How long have you and Zach been dating?"

"Almost four months."

"Stella, I'm sure he'll understand if you don't like him. Just tell him."

"I'm… afraid it'll be like last time I tried to break up with my boyfriend. I don't want to be almost killed again."

"Not all men are like Frankie; Zach will understand."

"I thought Frankie would understand, but I guess he didn't. I just can't be sure any more."

"Stella, you're just putting off breaking up with him. Why?" he places a hand on her shoulder, and she does her best not to wince.

"I… I can't tell you, Mac. I just need out of this relationship." She wants so badly to tell him, get help from someone, but she can't bring herself to do it.

Mac sits quietly next to her, wondering why she needs out. "Does it have to do with Frankie? I'm sure he'll understand if you're not ready."

"No, I'm over what Frankie did. I mean, dating doesn't bother me, just cases at work sometimes do."

"Then is he… cheating on you?"

"Not that I know of," Stella wishes it could be a simple reason.

"I don't get it. Why else would you need out of a relationship? Unless…" he looks over at her, studying her body. "He's not… Zach, he isn't… abusive, is he?"

"No," she says a little too quickly to be believable. "No. I need out of it before it gets more serious because I don't love him," she lies.

"Tell him, Stella."

"I'm going to leave now. See you tomorrow, Mac. And have fun at dinner with Peyton tonight," Stella stands, heading to the door.

Right after she leaves, Hawkes enters, finding Mac staring after her. "Hey, Mac. You alright?"

"I'm fine. But I don't think she is," Mac points after Stella.

"So you've noticed her odd behavior too?"

"Her boyfriend called; she lied to him because she didn't want to have dinner. She said she needed out of the relationship. When I asked her about it, she claimed it isn't because of Frankie, and he isn't cheating on her, which leaves…"

"Domestic violence?" Sheldon asks.

"Stella said no a little too quickly for me to believe her when I mentioned it. Said it was because she doesn't love him. He's got to hit her; but what can we do if she doesn't want help?" Mac frowns.

"Help her anyway; we can't let her get hurt again."

**A/N: I'm so sorry. When I got home Wednesday, my mom said the internet wasn't working so she had to take the computer in the next day 'cause the stupid Dell people didn't know what the problem was. So after I saved all my files onto like two disks and my flash drive since they were going to completely restart the computer, it was taken to the store and gone until today. My mom and I are still installing programs back onto it. And email still doesn't work because my mom has to call WOW and ask them how to set up the things again. I was dying without the computer. Hopefully the virus is gone now. And she blamed my desktops (which I've got like a whole year's worth of them saved; I change it every month). Like the week before that, it froze with my desktop, Mac and Stella this month, and no icons or anything. My brother asked me if Mac and Stella are married; I wish. Hm... I ended up getting an A on my poetry project thing, both the analysis paper and the presentation, for those who got to listen to me in past notes from other stories complain about it. Tonight I have to edit the other eight chapters left, once I get them back on here, and hopefully finish typing the one. I'll update again tomorrow, assuming my computer doesn't break again.**


	3. Keep Away

**Chapter 3: Keep Away**

"You three, my office," Mac pokes his head in the break room.

"What did you do now, Danny?" Lindsay asks.

"Nothin'. I swear."

The three of them enter Mac's office, finding Hawkes already inside.

"What's going on?" Flack asks.

"Take a seat." Mac sits behind his desk. "We have reason to believe Stella is in trouble again."

"What kind of trouble?"

"We think she is being abused. She won't tell us anything and denies it," Sheldon tells them. "She doesn't want help but needs it."

"What if she just doesn't want to talk about her personal life? Maybe everything's fine," Danny suggests.

"Stella lied to him when he called to get out of a date. I asked her about it, and she denied it being about Frankie or him cheating, just saying she needed out of the relationship. I mentioned abuse, and she immediately said no, much too quickly, as though she's hiding something; Stella said she didn't love him."

"So she was being half truthful; did she give you a name?" Don asks. "I'll go threaten him, arrest him if she wants charges pressed."

"First name is Zach. Lindsay, check her incoming phone calls; it would have been around fifteen to twenty minutes ago. Danny, trace the number. Flack and I will go find him, tell him to keep away from her. And, Hawkes, you go talk to Stella, try to get her to admit what's been going on between her and her boyfriend."

Sheldon, Danny, and Lindsay leave to do their jobs while Don and Mac head to the car. A few minutes later, Danny calls with an address. "That's not far from Stella's. Maybe he thinks she was lying to him and is going to beat her for it."

"Lindsay is sending you a picture now so you can identify him. It's his work location, where he is now."

"Thanks, you two. Go enjoy your evening." He tells Flack the address.

"What're we going to do to him? She won't admit to abuse, and we can't press charges."

"Threaten him. But if it continues, I'll force her to file. She really needs to do it now, though, so it can't happen again."

**MS**

"We're looking for Zach," Don tells the woman behind the secretary desk.

"I'll go see if he's free. What should I tell him?"

"We're friends of his girlfriend."

"Okay," the secretary says slowly, opening the door. "Go on in."

"Hello," Zach stands to shake their hands. "She said you know Stella. What can I do for you?"

"Leave her alone," Mac resists the urge to punch him for hurting her.

"What do you mean?"

"We've figured out what you do to her; she wouldn't admit it but it's quite obvious," Don moves closer to Mac, ready to pull him away if need be.

"What do you guys think I do to her? And how do you know her?"

"We work together," Mac holds up his badge. "You abuse her."

"So you came here to arrest me?" Zach chuckles. "'Cause I think I scared her enough that she wouldn't tell anyone."

"No. Stella refuses to admit what you do."

"She obviously learned to keep her mouth shut."

Mac, angered, lunges at him, knocking him to the floor. "How can you treat her like that, you SOB?"

"Let me go. I swear I won't hurt her anymore."

"I want so much to use you as a punching bag, beat you like you beat her. You better keep your word, or I'll personally be the one to lock you up for life. And stay away from Stella." Mac stands, letting Zach up.

"You need to leave, Detectives."

"Remember this when you go to hit a woman next time." Don and Mac leave his office. "I've never seen you act like that."

"He deserves much worse. Let's head back; I don't think he'll bother for a while."

"Got a date, Mac?" Flack teases.

**A/N: I'm pretty sure if this were really to happen on the show, Mac would do a lot more to the guy. I wish it was April already so we could have new episodes. On it said something about them looking for a girl that looks somewhat like a younger Melina and another lady to be from her past when she was eight (kind of random age there unless something happened then; I got the feeling she was in the orphanage for as long as she could remember) who holds a secret identity. This woman's supposed to be around thirty so it's not her mother unless this is in a flashback. Tomorrow Melina's on the Rachael Ray show. Here that's on at three in the afternoon. Normally I could watch it, but it just so happens that my makeup dance lesson is at three-thirty tomorrow. I'm not sure if there will be any CSI news or not on there; she's cooking though and talking about some pretty random from what I saw of the commercial. While I watched Providence this evening, I tried to figure out how to work our VCR recording thing. It didn't work. Anyone know if they rerun Rachael Ray? Or maybe I'll see if my friend can tape it for me. Stupid VCR. I wish we had one of those recording things on the TV. I think that's it. I should be able to post after five and before seven tomorrow. Review please.**


	4. It's Over?

**Chapter 4: It's Over?**

"Mac sent you." Stella scowls at Hawkes as she stands in the doorway.

"I just want to talk to you. Please, let me in," Sheldon reaches out to comfort her.

She pulls away from his touch, "I'm fine. I don't need your help or anyone else's."

"You're not okay, Stel. We know what he's doing to you," he puts his hand out to keep her from shutting the door. "Lift up your sleeve."

"Go away. I can handle it," she puts a hand on his chest and pushes him away.

He grabs her arm as gently as he can without letting her get away. "He's going to hurt you a lot worse than he is now; you're a strong woman, but you can't handle this on your own."

She gives in, falling into his arms. "Mac's looking for him now, isn't he?"

"Yes. Just give me the word, and I'll call Mac, have him arrest Zach."

"No, I just want him to leave me alone."

"Let's sit down," Hawkes guides her to the couch. "Can I see what he's done?"

Stella rolls her sleeves up, showing him the bruises. "There's more. My back is all black and blue from him… slamming me into the wall."

"How long have you been going through this?" he gasps.

"Two months, I guess. He doesn't… hurt me every time I see him, only about half the time."

"Still, Stella, this isn't good for you. Do you know why he started to hit you?"

"I honestly have no idea why he does this to me. He just does."

"It's okay. Just remember none of this is your fault. Why didn't you get help when he began to hurt you?"

"I guess I was embarrassed that this was happening to me again. The first time the bruises happened, I thought it was an accident. But when it kept happening and he wouldn't loosen his grip, I knew he was doing it on purpose. I'm an idiot; I should have gotten help when I knew he was abusing me," Stella begins to cry.

"Have you ever tried to stop him?" he watches her struggle to answer. "Tell me if you want me to stop."

"It's okay. I… when I fight him, he… he just makes it worse. I, uh, gave up trying to stop him."

"Do you know why Zach hasn't hit you in the face or any where not covered by clothes?"

"He knew that if he did, my colleagues would start to suspect something. I was threatened every time I saw him, whether he beat me or not. He didn't want anyone at all to find out."

"What did he threaten to do if you told?" Sheldon puts an arm around her battered form.

"Um… Zach, he threatened to… kill me."

"I'm done questioning you. If he comes back here, call me or Mac or any of us. And Mac said that if he hurts you again after this, he's forcing you to press charges," he moves away from her.

"Okay," Stella stands to lead him out.

"You know, I'll stay if you want me to. Or we can have a uniform in the building."

"It's fine, Hawkes. Thanks for your help. Tell the others I said so too."

Closing the door, a feeling of relief washes over her; it was over, he would never hurt her again. She pours herself a glass of wine and sinks into a chair to think. _What if he doesn't listen to the warning? In many domestic violence cases, the abuser refuses to follow orders from the police. That's why so many women die; the man believes she asked for help and takes her life for it; most of the time, it's someone else who calls to get help for the abused. What would I do if he comes back to kill me?_

Contemplating he options, Stella remembers her struggle with Frankie. _Hawkes said to call. I tried to when Frankie attacked me, but he stopped me. Zach probably would realize what I was doing too._

Someone knocks on the door, and she goes to answer it, figuring it was Mac or someone checking on her.

"Hello, Stella. How was your day?" one of the voices that haunts her nightmares says.

"Get away from me," she tries to push the door closed.

**A/N: Stupid tape recorder still didn't work; I didn't get to tape Melina on Rachael Ray. I read on (you can decide how accurate you think it is since the people on the forum wanted something to happen between Danny and Lindsay on Valentine's Day when they already knew she wouldn't be coming back for another two episodes) that some guy from Cold Case I believed it was will be guest staring on NY as a detective from Philidelphia, I think, that comes to NYC because he found a bloody jacket. And guess who's blood it is? Stella's. Apparently that reveals her true identity. Maybe she's not Stella after all. This is supposed to happen on the May 2 episode when find out if she's HIV positive or not. That explains why the episode is called Cold Reveal. Now I really can't wait for April 18. Ooh, that's the day I'm going to see some Shakespeare play for English. I'll update again tomorrow. **


	5. You're Going to Die

**Chapter 5: You're Going to Die**

Zach forces his way inside her apartment, slamming and locking the door behind him. He walks slowly towards Stella, "I thought I told you not to tell anyone."

She back away, "I swear I didn't say a word about it."

"How'd you partner find out then?"

"He studies crime for a living. Mac knows how women in violent situations act; when he asked about it, I said I was fine. He could tell I was lying."

"I don't believe you. Your friend came to threaten me this evening, said he'd throw me in jail if I touched you again," he lays a hand on her shoulder, challenging what Mac had said. "I recall you telling me when I called you earlier that you had to work late. It's eight-fifteen. We could have kept our date."

"I… lied to you. I wanted just one night to myself," she tenses, waiting for a hit. When nothing happens, she opens her eyes.

He stares at her, waiting for the perfect moment. Just as she seems to relax a little, Zach raises a fist, punching the side of her head. "How dare you lie to me."

Stella falls to the floor, holding her head. As she starts to stand back up, he pushes her down again. She gives up, staying seated on the floor.

"You betrayed me, Stella. I'm going to kill you," he gets out a knife from the drawer behind him. "But before you die, you're going to suffer." Towering over her, Zach holds up the knife, preparing to stab her. He plunges his knife into the floor, right where she was laying a second ago. Shocked, he looks around, finding her lying a few feet away.

Glad to find herself still alive, she quickly stands. She watches him pull the knife from the wood floor, trying to think of a way to fight him. The door wasn't too far behind her, but he would catch up to her when she had to stop to open it.

"Just give it up, Stella. There's no way for you to escape. You're going to die no matter what you do," he starts to circle her.

As he raises the knife again, she kicks him. When he goes to hold himself, the blade of the knife cuts her. Taking advantage of the situation, Stella kicks him in the back of the knee, making him fall onto his knees, which had to hurt on the hard, wooden kitchen floor. Wasting no time to save herself, she runs to get her cell phone instead of to the door. Glancing toward him trying to stand up, she knows she can't make it out. Dashing to the bathroom, she locks the door to hold him back while she calls Mac for help.

"Come on; pick up, Mac," she begs. Finally, he answers. "He's come to kill me, Mac. I locked myself in the bathroom, but that's not going to keep him away for long. Please help me."

Zach bangs on the door, "Open this door right now."

"I'm bleeding a little, but after he busts down the door, he could do anything."

"I'm going to break the door down if you don't open it by the time I count to three. One… Two… Three." Something hits the door, but it doesn't break.

"Hurry, Mac," Stella whispers.

He kicks the door again, and it opens this time. "Give me that," he yells, grabbing the phone from her. "I'm going to kill her in twenty minutes. Until then, you'd better pray she doesn't resist me." Zach drops the phone to the floor and stomps on it.

She attempts to punch him, but he grabs her wrist and throws her against the wall. "Ow," she mutters.

"Hear that? Struggle with me once, and you're dead."

"Why do you want to kill me?" she tries to keep him talking, hoping Mac gets here on time.

"Didn't you listen to me? You told them I was abusing you."

"Why do you abuse me?"

"That's what women are for; to order and beat around for a man's entertainment."

"How did I ever think you could be the one?" Stella mumbles.

Zach adjusts him hands, putting one on her throat, the other holding the knife to her in case she fights him.

Without oxygen, she slips into unconsciousness quickly.

**A/N: Will Mac get there in time to save her? Sorry I didn't update last night. I had to go see Annie, the musical for our school this year, and didn't get home until nine-thirty. I completely missed CSI. And on CBS, only the first half works when I try to watch it. I haven't written in forever. I need to finish Superman this weekend and the next chapter of the study hall story. Maybe I'm putting off my writing at home 'cause I'm at the point where a character dies. I haven't figured out how to kill them yet. And I have to interview someone alive during WWII and the Great Depression for Western Civ. It would have been perfect if we got this project last week when my grandpa was here. What else... tape test for band... I'm not sure how to set the metronome though because it's in 6/8. I think that's it. And Mac died!! My frog, for those of you who know about the CSI aquarium I have. But since I'm the only one who can tell the difference between him and Gil, I could say that Gil died so Stella, the fish, isn't lonely without her best friend. The episode I was describing in previously notes, in case I didn't say, is on the second of May, when we find out whether she's HIV positive or not. She doesn't get fired though, whatever the outcome is, becasue I read something about episode 23, which is the week after. They bring up that one detective from Consequences who was stealing the drugs... hey, they skipped that episode in the reruns. Hopefully I will be able to update again tomorrow. Thanks for reading.**


	6. Not Enough Time

**Chapter 6: Not Enough Time**

When she regains consciousness, Stella doesn't remember what is going on. She tries to move her arms but finds it impossible; they are handcuffed behind her back and to the bed. Nothing comprehensible comes out when she attempts to speak; her mouth is covered with a piece of duct tape. _Why am I tied up in my own apartment?_

"Ah, you're awake," Zach walks into her bedroom, still clutching the knife.

Everything comes back to her. "How much time is left?" she says, but it comes out as just noise.

"What was that? I couldn't understand you," he smiles. "Oh, you want the time. Five after nine. They have ten minutes to rescue you."

_What's taking him so long? He doesn't live that far away. _She unsuccessfully hides her worry from him.

"Stella is scared," he teases, sitting at the end of the bed. "Why don't we… you know, one last time before you die?"

"I'm not going to die." Again, it isn't understandable.

"Either we do it, or you die now. Your choice, Stella. I'm happy to do any or both of them."

Stella closes her eyes, contemplating her options. _If I refuse, I'm dead now. If we… sleep together, that may buy me some time. He'd probably wait to kill me until it's over, giving Mac more time to get here and maybe save my life. Let's see how long we can drag this out to spare my life._

"What will it be?" Zach holds the knife to her throat. She doesn't answer. "Say something, or you're dead."

"I can't."

"Fine. Stay still if you want to spare yourself for now and shake your head if you want me to slit your throat."

She doesn't move a muscle.

"Sex it is," he touches her leg softly, making her jerk away. "What you don't understand, Stella," he whispers, "is that I really do love you."

**MS**

Mac sits across from Peyton, enjoying their meal together, when his phone rings. "What do you need, Stel?" he answers.

"What? We're on our way. Are you hurt?" he grabs Peyton, pulling her out of the restaurant with him.

"Don't panic, Stella. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"What's going on?" Peyton whispers as he starts the car.

"Her boyfriend came to kill her; she needs help. Call Don and Sheldon to get backup," Mac pulls out, turning the sirens on. "Stella? Stel?"

The voice on the phone changes, telling him he has twenty minutes to get there, or she's dead. Then the other end goes blank.

"I can't get there in less than twenty minutes," he yells.

"Both Hawkes and Flack should be there in that time. I'll call them back if we can't make it and tell them to go up to save her," she says, touching his arm gently.

"What will she think if they are there and I'm not?"

"Mac, Stella will understand if you can't make it on time. You called the two guys in case we couldn't make it to help her. You saved her either way or will save her."

"But I'm the one she called for help. She'll think I don't care about her."

"Maybe you won't make it in time to arrest the guy, but you'll be there for her afterwards to comfort her."

"I should've arrested the guy instead of threatening him. I should've made her press charges so she wouldn't get hurt by him again."

"No, it isn't your fault, Mac. It's the guy who's trying to kill her that is to blame."

They drive the next ten minutes in silence, getting there twenty-two minutes after the call. Quickly the four of them race up the stairs, pulling out guns except for Peyton.

Mac kicks the door in, hoping to God Stella is still alive.

**A/N: Is she okay or not? Only six more chapters to go. I still haven't typed the last one yet. For Western Civ, I have to interview someone who lived during the Great Depression/WWII and tape the at least twenty minute long interview. Then I have to write a three page paper about their experience. After dance to day, I went to my great great aunt's. I had at least fifteen questions to ask her, and all of her answers were really short. That didn't work since it was only ten minutes long. So apparently I get to interview my grandma tomorrow. Either that or interview the other grandma, who I did for a project very similar to this in English last year, over the phone. And I've got to do my stupid tape test for band, plus watch one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies because my dance teacher told me I'm not very pirate like in my dance. The song is really fast (song during credits of first movie) and I can't breath by the time I'm done. So every time I do the dance, I fall on the ground after hitting my ending pose because I'm almost dying. She told me I can't fall on the ground "dead" on stage. Both my mom and her son like it though because it's like I'm defeated. I don't even know what my walk off is. And when I walk on stage, she gets mad because I walk heel first, or "marching band" style, as she calls it; pirates don't walk toes first. My mom's sick so I don't know what we're having for dinner but I'm hungry. I'll update tomorrow.**


	7. A Life Changing Hug

**Chapter 7: A Life-Changing Hug**

"NYPD!" The three men rush into her apartment, scattering to look for her.

Mac heads to her bedroom, afraid of what he might find. He tries the door, but it is locked. The other two come up behind him, having not found anything elsewhere. Again, he kicks the door, surprised to see Stella tied up with Zach nowhere in sight.

"No!" she tries to protest when he moves towards her, warning him.

Mac doesn't listen, continuing to the bed. "It's okay, Stel. We're here. He can't kill you."

"Watch out, Mac," Don yells.

He turns around to find Zach ready to punch him. Quickly he ducks as Zach throws the punch. His fist connects with Stella's temple.

Hawkes and Flack come to Mac's aid, and they cuff Zach.

"I'm gonna go lock this SOB up. Sheldon, I've got forms in my car; come get one for her so I don't leave him alone," Flack says.

"Be right back," Sheldon follows Flack out.

Mac pulls the tape off her mouth, trying to be gentle. Then he takes her handcuffs off, freeing her.

Stella throws her arms around him, crying. "I should have pressed charges so he wouldn't do this."

"No, it isn't your fault at all. You didn't do anything at all to deserve this," he rubs her back. "Come on; let's get you out of here." He leads her out into the hallway outside her apartment.

"Your arm is bleeding, Stella. Can I take a look?" Peyton asks, feeling out of place.

She nods, rolling her sleeve up. Looking at it now, she realizes it needs treated. "I'll go get the first aid stuff."

"I can get it. You don't need to go back in there." Peyton heads to the bathroom.

"Mac, did I interrupt your date… with Peyton?"

"It's not a big deal except I didn't pay the restaurant for dinner."

"I'm so sorry."

He hugs her again. "Please, Stella, stop blaming yourself for this."

"I can't."

Peyton stops in the doorway, feeling really awkward now. _They look so perfect together. I'm in the way of that. _She realizes what she must do, watching them. Hurriedly she bandages up Stella's arm. "I should head home. See you guys tomorrow."

"Wait, I can take you. I've got to finish the report with her first, then we can go," Mac says.

"No, I'll just take a cab."

"I can drive you; it's not a problem."

Sheldon walks down the hall with his kit and the paperwork. "What are they going on about?"

"She doesn't want a ride home or something. Can I get some ice to put on the bruise? Mac won't let me go back in," Stella asks.

"I'll be right back, Stella," Mac calls, following Peyton.

Hawkes returns with an ice pack. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"I don't know. Mac will probably take me to his place."

"If you need help…"

"I know, Hawkes."

Mac comes walking back down the hall. "She dumped me."

"What? Mac, I'm sorry I ruined your evening."

"You didn't do anything. I take it back… it is because of you, but not what happened tonight," he sits down beside her.

"Huh?"

"Peyton thinks you need me more than she does. She thinks we belong together because we looked so perfect when we hugged."

"You mean like dating together?"

"Yeah. She says I care about you more than I care about her. I'm afraid to say that's true, Stella," he takes her hand. "You're the only one I've ever loved after Claire passed away."

**A/N: Another cliffhanger. Does she love him too? So I interviewed my grandma for that history project. Hopefully it's long enough and I can write my three page report without any problems. My great great aunt doesn't know that I'm not using her interview. My mom is making me write another, shorter report for her, but I taped over that interview. I'll make some of it up. Not much else to say. I don't want to go to school this week. Luckily spring break is Friday. I shouldn't have much homework though because I have a test in like every subject. We're starting Lord of the Flies in English though. Everyone says it's boring. I'd wait until over spring break to read the whole thing but we get random pop quizzes over the reading for the previous night almost daily. Plus we have to take notes while we read and come up with "deep" thinking questions. Hopefully the Odyssey will be okay because that's the last thing we do. I hope we go through it like we did Romeo and Juliet. And then comes summer reading. I already have like seven CSI books to read along with like five others. And the new NY book comes out in May. I wonder when my brother has soccer games again. That's when I do all my typing and I have two stories I want to be up by May 2, one of which isn't finished yet but should be soon. I gotta go watch Seventh Heaven. It's actually new. But Housewives is a rerun. I'll update again tomorrow.**


	8. The Story

**Chapter 8: The Story**

Stella remains quiet, staring at the wall opposite her.

Mac's heart continues to pound, slowly losing hope. "Why don't you stay with me for tonight?"

"Okay."

"Stella, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why don't we do the report now?"

He grabs the paper and a pen, ready to write. "Start at the beginning."

"I answered the door shortly after Sheldon left. I thought it was you or someone else checking on me. It was Zach; he forced his way in, asking why I told you what he was doing to me and threatening to kill me. Uh… he mentioned something about our date that night and me lying to him before punching me on the side of the head," she shows him where. "Zach pulled a knife from the drawer and tried to stab me with it. I rolled out of the way and stood up. Then I think I kicked him in the… you know and again in the back of the knee, making him fall to the floor."

"Stab mark in the floor to confirm it," Hawkes calls, just informing them they had proof that she wasn't lying because they both believed her.

"That's when I ran to get my phone to call you and locked myself in the bathroom. He, um, knocked down the door and grabbed the phone from me, said I had twenty minutes to live. After that, he crushed my phone and pinned me to the wall. I tried to keep him talking, buy myself some time. He put his hand on my throat to shut me up, and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was tied to the bed, like you found me."

"How long were you out for?"

"He said you had ten minutes to get here after I woke up. Less than ten minutes, I guess."

"So he could have raped you in that time?"

"No."

"Maybe I should take you to the hospital, get you tested just in case."

"No, I'm positive he didn't."

"He could have."

"Why are you so insistent that he raped me?"

"I don't know. You're the only one who knows what really happened."

"Anyway, all I remember until you showed up is Zach saying something about… having sex one last time before I died or something like that. Then you showed up."

"Sheldon will need your clothes and some photographs before we leave. When did you get cut?" Mac asks.

"When I kicked him. He was holding the knife, ready to stab me, and it cut me when he went to… hold himself."

"I can take the pictures now, Stel. Or if you're more comfortable with Mac doing it…" Hawkes pokes his head out.

"It doesn't matter," Stella stands, not sure where to go.

"I'll photograph," Mac takes the camera and leads her inside the other bathroom not involved in the attack. Before asking her to take off her sweater, he snaps a few shots of her face and the bruise forming.

Sheldon takes her shirt, bagging it slowly so as not to make her uncomfortable by watching.

"Are there any bruises or anything on your legs?"

"No, he never hit me below the waist."

"We'll still need the rest of your clothes." She starts to unzip her pants. "Stella, stop. Wait until I get you something to change into."

He returns a few minutes later. "Thanks."

Both men step out of the room while she changes. She puts each other item in a bag for them. Mac smiles when she comes out, "What I picked out didn't turn out to be a big disaster. Close your eyes, and I'll guide you to the closet so you can pack a bag."

When she opens her eyes, she seems to have magically moved to her closet in three steps. Quickly she packs a bag for a few nights at his apartment, away from this mess.

"Stella," he catches her arm, stopping her from walking out, and takes the bag. "I need to know if you feel the same way I do."

She gives him a small smile. "Yes, Mac. I do love you."

**A/N: What I learned at school today: more people are murdered during the summer time than the winter, therefore all crime shows should run from like March to November with reruns all winter long. Or they just shouldn't have three months of reruns. I can't think of anything else exciting that happened today. School was boring. It always is. Wow, I actually have nothing else to say; that's a first. Maybe that's why I normally only update every other day. I didn't even come up with any good story ideas for Mac and Stella as I waited for the bus, which was late. I really should write my report but I don't feel like it. Thanks for the reviews. **


	9. A Crazy Mistake

**Chapter 9: A Crazy Mistake**

"When was the last time you ate something?" Mac pulls the car into a parking spot.

"Five-thirtyish."

"Come on. We're gong to get ice cream."

"I can't go out there with a bruise on my face."

"What would you like then?"

"Surprise me," Stella stares out the window, watching the pedestrians on the sidewalk. He enters the little shop to get the dessert.

She spots a familiar, haunting face and gets out of the car, bringing her gun with her. "How did you get away from them?" she points the gun at the man.

"What are you talking about?" he holds his arms out in defense. "I've never seen you before."

"You know what you did, Zach."

"Listen, lady, my name isn't Zach. It's Adam."

"You think I could forget your face after what you did to me?"

"I told you I've never seen you before in my life. I never did anything to you."

Mac exits the building, two ice creams in hand, to find a big crowd a little way down. He goes to the car, shocked to find no Stella, and puts the ice cream in the car before running down the street in search of her.

"Quit lying to me," he hears her yell.

"Excuse me," he makes his way through the crowd. When he makes it to the center, he finds her pointing her gun at some random man. "Stella," Mac walks slowly to her, "give me your gun."

"But Zach escaped," she gestures to the frightened man before her.

"He's not Zach, Stel," he places a hand on the barrel of her gun, forcing it to point to the ground before taking it from her.

"I called the police for backup," a citizen says. "They can take that crazy woman away for you."

Stella turns around, ready to beat the guy up, but he grabs her. "I'm sorry for your inconvenience, but would you mind staying here so we can get this straightened out?"

"Sure," the man follows Mac to his car. "Why aren't you handcuffing her?"

He puts Stella in the car so he can talk to the man. "She's my partner; we work in the CSI Unit of the NYPD. You must have reminded her of her boyfriend for some reason. It's from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; the man beat her, but tonight he tried to kill her. Stella really didn't mean to hurt you; I'll encourage you to file a police report but don't press charges. I will deal with her actions at work."

"How?"

"Suspend her for three to five days."

"That's all? She tried to kill me."

"It won't stand in court; a jury wouldn't charge her," Mac tries to convince him.

"Fine." The police arrive to take his statement. Mac talks to another officer.

"Don't they want to talk to me?" Stella asks when he climbs in next to her.

"I called the chief; we made a deal so you wouldn't have to go to court."

"I'm fired, aren't I?"

"No. Two weeks on suspension. You can't come back after that until you've gone to a psychologist at least three times."

"I don't need a psychologist," she shakes her head.

"I can't believe that. Stella, you just threatened a man with your gun because he looked a little like Zach. You had completely convinced yourself it was him. You need to get help." He hands her a container of ice cream.

"I think I've officially gone insane."

"You're not insane. It's PTSD."

"Why didn't you just let me handle this? Why'd you help me?"

"I care about you. It's not your fault entirely for going after him."

**A/N: My report part of the project for Western Civ is long enough, but I just listened to the interview, and it's only twelve minutes long. It'll look kind of odd if my report only covers the first half of the interview, so I apparently have to change that too after I go tell my mom my problem. And I do have another story since I didn't anything for you Monday... my cat brought a mouse inside and I didn't realize it. My mom did and the cat ran behind the big screen TV. When she came out, she didn't have the thing. So we pulled the TV out nad it wasn't there. We have four cats and none of them can find it. That's like the only exciting thing. You know on that one episode of NY where Lindsay ate the fried spider at the end how the other case dealt with that "shooting" people game thing. That was on Providence last night, and Syd was hilarious. I better go finish this. I'll update Friday.**


	10. Comforting

**Chapter 10: Comforting**

"Mac, what did I ever do to deserve going through this twice?" Stella sits curled up on his couch, covered by a blanket.

"Nothing. You didn't deserve this at all."

"I know it's not my fault he beat me, but I can't stop thinking that it is. He always told me everything was my fault."

Mac really has no idea what to tell her; he wasn't good at comforting people. "I… I don't know what to do, how to help you. I can't do this. Let me go call Lindsay; she's better at this than I am."

She reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder. "You're just not used to comforting anyone. Don't call Lindsay; you'll know what to do."

"See, you're good at it; I'm not."

"By being here for me, you're doing more than you know." She scoots closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just don't understand how I could end up in another situation like that. After Frankie, I should have trusted my instincts and given up on finding someone."

"I'm happy to tell you that your wait is over; we've got each other now." He puts an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Thanks, Mac. For the past ten years."

"I've done less for you than you've done for me. If anything, I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," Stella yawns sleepily.

Mac gently moves her so she is lying down across the couch, back on his lap. He adjusts the blanket so it covers her. "Get some rest."

"I can't let you sleep in that position. You know how sore you're going to be tomorrow?"

"Stel, don't worry about me. If you're that concerned about me, I'll take you to the bedroom and sleep on the couch."

"No, I can't be left alone again. Who knows what I'll do this time?"

"Hopefully you'll be okay by yourself tomorrow," he watches her fall asleep peacefully, worry released at the sight of the beautiful woman finally at ease after the day's events. Ever so carefully and softly, Mac leans down to kiss her cheek before falling asleep himself.

**MS**

Stella wakes up to the sound of running water, not sure where she is. Sitting up, she realizes she is on a bed, whose she wasn't sure.

The shower water turns off, and a minute later, Mac walks in, towel wrapped around his waist. "Oh, you're awake."

"Did you think I wouldn't wake up?"

"No, I just thought you'd sleep in since you don't have to work."

"I could've sworn I fell asleep on the couch last night. How'd I get in here?"

"I moved you half an hour ago. I figured you'd be more comfortable here."

She turns her head so he can put his boxers on. "Thanks. How sore are you?"

"It's not bad. I can't sleep like that tonight though," he continues to dress. "While I'm at work, you're welcome to anything here. I'd like you to stay here for a few days so we don't have another incident."

"Is there anything you want me to do?"

"Just relax. Do what you need to," Mac gives her a quick hug. "Call me if you need anything. I'll get something to eat for us on the way home."

Stella lays back down, deciding to go back to sleep.

**MS**

"How is she?" Lindsay asks worriedly as Mac walks into the office.

"She'll be fine in a few days. Don't worry, Lindsay."

"When will she back at work?"

"Two weeks, at least. She threatened a man with her gun when we stopped for ice cream on the way home. I convinced the chief not to have the man press charges if she had two weeks off and went to a psychologist after explaining what she went through."

"Court date is next Wednesday for Zach," Hawkes interrupts. "DA needs to talk to Stella before then."

"Thanks. Tell him I'll bring her Monday."

"Mac, I'd like to talk to her. Can I stop by later?"

"Sure, Linds. I think it'll do her some good to talk to another woman."

**A/N: Sorry, I totally meant to post yesterday but I was too lazy to get up from watching Pirates of the Caribbean. I watched both of them. Not very exciting towards the end. And I laughed at my mom while we watched Providence, which we had to stop Pirates for, because there in the end of season four for those of you who watch the show, and Syd is dating Owen. The person who plays Owen was the rapist on an episode of CSI a few seasons ago. So every time they kiss, my mom says, "No, don't date him. He's a bad person." It's kind of funny. What else have I done over break... finished my study hall story thing, I've gotten two chapters of Superman typed, and I started another story. My dumb dog got all freaked out last night because it thundered randomly once at like eleven-thirty. She kept scratching on my door because she wanted in, then when she came in, she'd want out. That kept my grandma's dog who's sleeping in my room up all night along with me. My mom ended up sleeping on my floor. Why it was thundering when we have about a foot of snow, I have no idea. Since we didn't get a white Christmas, we're getting a white Easter here. I have to rewrite my report thing for Western Civ becasue I interviewed two people, my great aunt, who didn't give me much info so I didn't use her, and my grandma, who I did use for the report. My great aunt doesn't know I didn't use her so when I see her tomorrow, she's going to ask about it. Now, even though I don't have her answers, I still have to write a stupid paper about her for my mom so she's not mad. We can't come up with an excuse not to. Anyway, I'll update like Mondayish. Thanks for reading.**


	11. On the Stand

**Chapter 11: On the Stand**

"Detective, can you tell us what happened after your boyfriend busted down your bathroom door?" the prosecutor asks, standing next to the jury.

"Zach took the phone from me and shouted that I would die in twenty minutes. He said if I struggled, it'd be sooner. Then he threw my phone to the ground and stepped on it. He grabbed me by the wrist and threw me against the wall. I tried to keep him talking, keep him distracted so he wouldn't hurt me. I asked why he was going to kill me and why he abused me. Zach said that's what women are for, to be abused for a man's entertainment. He… he put his hand on my throat, cutting off the oxygen. I blacked out," Stella tells the jury.

"When did you regain consciousness?"

"Between five and ten minutes later. He told me Mac had ten minutes to save me."

"What happened in those ten minutes?"

"Well, I was tied to the bed by my wrists when I awoke. There was a piece of duct tape covering my mouth. I spent much of the next ten minutes trying to speak to him. We had a hard time communicating when I couldn't talk. All I can remember is Zach wanting to… have sex one last time before I die. I agreed when he put his knife to my throat. He said that he really did love me. We heard someone kick in the front door so he hid. Mac came in and walked over to untie me. Zach came out and tired to punch him. Mac ducked, and it hit me," she points to the still visible bruise. "Flack handcuffed him, and Mac untied me."

"That's all," the DA sits down.

"Detective, can you please tell us who photographed you?" the defense attorney stands.

"What do you mean?"

"Who took the photos of your injuries after the attack?"

"Mac."

"Isn't it protocol in the lab that female CSIs take the evidence from female victims?"

"Yes. But there wasn't a female CSI there other than me. I gave Mac permission to take the photographs."

"Can you tell the court what happened on the way to your partner's home that evening?"

"Objection, Your Honor," the prosecutor says. "What is the relevance?"

"Overruled. You may continue."

"Mac and I had stopped for ice cream. I stayed in the car while he went to get it. Looking out the window, I saw a man who I thought was Zach. I chased after him and pulled out my gun. A crowd gathered while I… continued to threaten him. Mac came running and forced me to realize it wasn't Zach. Someone had called the police, and Mac talked to them. He convinced them not to put me on trial, and I was suspended from work for two weeks and had to see a psychologist."

"Do you have an explanation for your actions?" the defense attorney asks.

"PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs after a traumatic event; the victim relives the incident in their head and such reactions you'd expect after something that terrible."

"Are you sure it was that? Or did you just want to kill him like you murdered your last boyfriend?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained," the judge looks harshly at the defense attorney.

"Detective, is it often that a women gets in two violent relationships?"

"No," Stella wishes she was anywhere but here in the court room.

"Can you explain how you did then?"

"Frankie only turned abusive when I broke up with him. Zach… I don't know."

"Why didn't you get help when my client first started to hit you?"

"I didn't want my coworkers to think I was weak. I was embarrassed to be in another bad relationship. The first time he hurt me, I thought it was an accident," she says, almost ready to cry.

"No further questions."

Stella steps off the stand and sits next to Mac, leaning on him for support.

**A/N: One more chapter to go. I'll post it tomorrow or Wednesday. Not much going on. I was in the middle of one story when I came up with another idea, which I think I got from somewhere on TV. I can't remember the show. Anyway, I'm now like halfway done with that story because I wrote all day practically. It's only going to be about three chapters. And it's another one that I have to get done before May 2. Three stories to type and post by then. It's not going to happen. I figured out that my brother had to have like four soccer games between now and then for me to finish typing all of the chapters for the stories. I don't think he does, especially if the snow stays on the ground. Summer is a better time for typing; my brother plays baseball then and there's two or three games a week for me to type during. Of course since I can type more, there's times when I've got all my stuff typed so I have nothing to do. Then during the other three seasons I'm way behind. I can't wait for Wednesday. Actually, it's the episode four weeks from now I want to see but I'll take another new episode instead. So apparently Stella is investigating the death of her foster father where the foster mother and foster sister are suspected. First, why is she on the case when she personally knows the victim and suspects? Second, where do the guy from Cold Case with the bloody jacket found come in? Third, I really want to know what her unprofessional decision is although she's in episodes after that so she's not fired. Also, does she have HIV or not? Where'd that story line go anyway? What else... oh, I read that the producers haven't renewed all the CSIs yet. And they said if they were to get rid of one, NY would be the one to go. They can't get rid of it. Miami the bad one; everyone hates the guy who plays Horatio. I read in the TVGuide article that Miami is the most popular show in the world. Yeah, right. NY is lower in ratings, but LV is definitely higher as is Grey's Anatomy. There I go again... my note is longer than the chapter. **


	12. Guilty or Innocent?

**Chapter 12: Guilty or Innocent?**

"Thanks," Stella takes the coffee he offers her. Mac sits next to her on the bench outside the courtroom as the jury deliberates. After taking a long sip, she says, "I screwed it up. They're going to let him go."

"The physical evidence against him is too great not to convict him. Besides, what you did afterwards has nothing to do with what he did to you. If anything, it stresses how bad it was to go through."

"But what about the pictures? It's protocol that female CSIs take pictures and evidence from female victims."

"What would that matter if we've got evidence of him elsewhere?"

"He brought up Frankie and had me tell the jury that it's not often women end up in two abusive relationships. I don't fit in that."

"Stop worrying, Stella. If he miraculously gets off, I'll protect you. No one can harm you with me around," he holds her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Mac, do you think the jury would've found me guilty if I had been tried for threatening that guy?"

"I honestly don't know. You would've had to prove illness in your defense because it was quite obvious you did it."

"You're real helpful," she rolls her eyes sarcastically.

"Our relationship is built on honesty and trust. That's why it has lasted so long. And I'm not about to break it now."

"Thanks for convincing the chief it was PTSD, or I'd be in jail by now."

"I did it because it was the right thing to do; you didn't deserve to be in prison for threatening him after what you'd been through," Mac hugs her. "I love you."

Taking her by surprise, he kisses her forehead. Still a little cautious, Stella tenses and backs away from him a little. "I love you too."

"The jury has reached a verdict," the prosecutor comes out to tell them.

Mac and Stella, along with the rest of the people watching the trial, file back into the courtroom and take seats.

The bailiff hands the paper to the judge who reads it quickly before returning it to the foreman.

"On the charges of aggravated assault and battery, we find the defendant… guilty," the foreman says.

Two guards come up and handcuff Zach. As they take him away, he glares angrily at Stella. "I'll get you," he mouths, eyes cold.

"You okay?" Mac wakes her from her trance.

"I'm fine. Let's go," she stands, and they walk out of the courtroom hand in hand.

**MS**

Stella returns to work the following week. Surprisingly, no one but the team catches on to the small gestures made between her and Mac, indicating the relationship between them.

Worn out, she enters the locker room after finally solving her case. It had been difficult for all four of them on the case, what had been done to the little girl. She, by far, was the most affected.

As she opens her locker, Mac comes up behind her, putting his shirt on after a much needed shower; somehow he had ended up in the dumpster searching for evidence instead of Danny. Silently he pulls her into a backwards hug, Stella not even flinching as he touches her. "I know it was bad. But you saved so many other young girls in New York from ending up like her."

"How can someone be so… sick and heartless? If you can do that to another person, you have serious psychological problems."

"There's a lot of messed up people in the world; you know that," he turns her around, rubbing her back and running a hand through her dark brown curls.

"I don't think it's ever been that horrible and disturbing before," she wraps her arms around his neck.

They stand there for a few minutes before she pulls away. Without hesitating, Stella leans in and kisses him on the lips for the first time. Their kiss was full of passion and trust, but most important, a deep, never ending love.

**A/N: That's the end. I might post the first chapter of Superman later since I now have the whole thing typed. That's a sad story though at the end. I can't wait for the new NY later. Maybe Mac will think Peyton went crazy after she hit her head on the car and break up with her so he can be with Stella. I was going downstairs to play the Wii yesterday and I hit my toe on the stair. Now it is very colorful and it still hurts. I was hoping I couldn't get out of dance Saturday; my teacher won't be there anyway. I sat there and watched Providence twice last night. Syd and Owen got engaged; she shouldn't take his last name because Syd Frank just doesn't sound right. At least Stella Taylor sounds okay if her and Mac were to get married. They showed like a side view of her half way through and I'm like "Whoa, she looks kind of fat. What happened between last season of Providence and the first season of NY that she got so big." Then I realized she was pregnant with her second daughter all fifth season of Providence which I had already figured out the week before from the computer. Unlike when Anna was pregnant, you can't tell unless they show her whole body. Anna's face was different after she got pregnant. Another thing about the May 2 episode: she works on a case where she knows the victim and makes an unprofessional decision, which I think is tampering with evidence, yet doesn't get fired? These things happened to other characters and one got in trouble with Mac and the other was fired. So why wouldn't Stella be? Anyway, hope you liked the story. Please review.**


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